Fasteners



May 5, 1959 F. H. NEUBERGER 2,884,674

FASTENERS Filed. Fb. 27, 1957 IN VENTOR Frank/m H. Neuberger ATTORNEY FASTENERS Franklin H. Neuherger, Endicott, N.Y.

Application February 27, 1957, Serial No. 642,708 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-129) The present invention relates to an improved fastener which is particularly adapted for use in taking up slack in clotheslines.

Clotheslines, when not in use, are usually allowed to hang slackened so that they will not be stretched or broken as a result of temperature and humidity variations brought about by changing weather conditions. When in use, however, such lines must be drawn taut for maximum ease of placing thereon clothes to be dried. Moreover, taut lines are necessary to prevent buuching of clothes thereon and to reduce the danger of dragging them on the ground. Clothesline fasteners are not unknown but as made up to the present time are diificult to install, most of them requiring the severing of the clotheslines for their installation.

One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a fastener which may be quickly and easily installed on a clothesline and which will, when properly adjusted, retain said clothesline taut.

As another object, the invention provides a fastener which may be placed in use without severing the clothesline.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a fastener which is reversible, for added convenience and flexibility.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clothesline fastener which may be manufactured cheaply, in large quantities, of wood, plastic or light weight metal.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a fastener which may be quickly released from a clothesline after it has served its purpose and it is desired to slacken the line.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of one embodiment of the invention as it would appear positioned on a clothesline and holding the same taut.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a top view.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the invention installed on a clothesline.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the fastener shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the embodiment of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, and first to Figs. 1 through 4 thereof, my improved clothesline fastener includes a body A which is fashioned from a single piece of Wood, metal or other suitable material and has a central portion 10 and enlarged or thickened end portions 11 and 12. The central portion is provided with fiat side, top and bottom walls and with an elongated opening 13 which communicates with the bottom wall through a slot 14 of suflicient width to permit passage of a portion of clothesline, in a manner to be described in more detail hereinafter. As best seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the ends of the openings 13 terminate in rounded end 2,884,674 Patented May 5, 1959 ice walls which define notches 15 and 16 disposed in close proximity to the enlarged end portions 11 and 12 of the body A.

The end portions 11 and 12 are identical so that a description of one will suiiice for both. The end portion 11 is generally rectangular and is formed with vertically and horizontally extending grooves 17 and 18 in its opposite side walls, said grooves intersecting at their midpoints. The grooves 17 and 18 are semicyclindrical and are of sufiicient size to accommodate snugly a portion of clothesline. As best seen in Fig. 3, the grooves 18 terminate at their inner ends in close proximity to, and in alignment with, the notches 15 and 16.

For convenience in describing the manenr of use of my clothesline fastener, a clothesline to be adjusted is described as having portions, or stretches, which are designated by appropriate reference letters. As will be understood from a scrutiny of Fig. 1 of the drawings, however, the clothesline is constituted by a single length of rope, designated by the letter B.

When it is desired to remove the slack from clothesline B, a portion of said line is passed through the slot 14 and then formed into a simple loop C. The portions adjacent the ends of the loop constitute horizontal and vertical stretches D and E. The horizontal stretch D lies partially in the groove 18 and extends through the opening 13 in engagement with the notch 16. The loop then is passed upward and across the fiat top wall of the end portion 12 so that the vertical stretch E may pass.

downwardly in the groove 17 and beneath a portion of the stretch D. Below stretch D the line forms a part of a slack loop, as will be described hereinafter. It will now be understood that pulling stress exerted on the line will cause the stretch D to bind stretch E tightly in the groove 17.

With one hand firmly holding the fastener and the line B under tension, the untightened part of the line. indicated at F, is grasped with the other hand and pulled through the slot 14 and into engagement with the notch 15, a portion of said line lying partially in the groove 18 of the portion 11. The line is then passed downward and across the flat bottom wall of the portion 11 and then upward along the groove 17 and is snapped beneath the horizontal end stretch G of the line F. The line is then passed over the top wall of the portion 11 and down the opposite side of said portion where it cooperates with the extension of the stretch E to form a slack loop H. Thus, tension exerted by the line portions B and F, acting in opposite directions, will act to bind tightly the line stretches in the grooves 17 of the portions 11 and 12 and prevent slackening of the line.

When it is desired to slacken the line, the fastener may be removed by slipping the vertical line stretches (first one and then the other) from beneath their binding horizontal stretches, when the device may be easily removed from the line.

The modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 comprises a body 20 having a central portion 21 and a single enlarged end portion 22. The central portion 21 is formed with flat side walls and an enlongated opening 23, similar to the opening 13, which communicates with the top wall through a slot 24, said slot being of sutficient width to permit free passage of a clothesline therethrough. As best seen in Fig. 6, the end of the central portion remote from the portion 22 is semicircular and, as in the first described embodiment, the opening 23 terminates at its ends in notches 25 and 26. The enlarged end portion 22 is of generally rectangular shape and has vertically and horizontally extending grooves 27 and 28 formed in its opposite side walls.

In use, the modified embodiment of the invention requires that the clothesline to be tightened have a simple knot tied therein. This knot is formed without severing the line and may be located at any desired point along its length. In Fig. 5 my improved fastener is shown with a clothesline properly positioned thereon.

In more detail, when it is desired to tighten a clothesline, shown at 30, the knot 31 is first tied. Then a portion 32 of the line, adjacent the knot, is passed through the slot 24 and engaged in the notch 26. The part of the line including the portion 32 is then held in one hand and pulled taut, the knot 31 bearing against the side wall of the body adjacent the notch 26. The line which extends beneath the knot is allowed to hang loosely, to form a part of a slack loop. The untightened portion of the line 30 is then grasped with the other hand and pulled taut and slipped through the slot 24 and into engagement with the notch 25. As best seen in Fig. 5, a horizontal stretch of line, indicated for convenience at 33, is engaged partially in the groove 28. Beyond the notch 25 the line is brought upward and is then passed across the top wall of the enlarged end portion and down along the groove 27 and is fastened beneath the horizontal stretch 33. Below the stretch 33 the line hangs loosely to complete the slack loop, shown at K. Tension exerted by the clothesline in opposite directions at each side of the fastener will serve to bind tightly the portion of line in the groove 27 and to force the knot 31 against the side of the portion 21 of the body. Thus the fastener will serve to maintain the clothes line taut for efiicient use.

To remove the fastener from the clothesline to slacken said line, it is only necessary to disengage the portion 32 from its position against the side wall of the body. With tension thus removed the fastener may be readily disengaged by slipping the line portions upwardly through the slot 24 to freedom. Alternatively, tension on the clothesline may be relieved by disengaging the portion of line in the groove 27 from beneath the stretch 33.

Attention is directed to the fact that both embodiments of my improved fastener are reversible for increased flexibility in use. The employment of the intersecting grooves in opposite side walls of the enlarged portions 11 and 12 (Figs. 1 through 4) and in the enlarged portion 22 (Figs. 5, 6 and 7) permits disposition of either end foremost or with the slot (14 or 24) down, as in Fig. 1, or up, as in Fig. 5.

It is believed that the construction and manner of use of my improved fastener will be understood fully from the foregoing description.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a fastener including an elongate body having a central portion with flat side walls and at least one thickened end portion, the central portion being formed with an elongate opening extending throughout the length of said central portion and terminating at said thickened portion and defining at least one notch, said opening communicating with the outside of the body through a slot, the thickened end portion having vertical and longitudinal grooves in its opposite side walls, said grooves on each side wall intersecting at their midpoints and the longitudinal grooves terminating at their inner ends in close spaced relation to and in alignment with the notch.

2. As a new article of manufacture, for use with an initially slackened clothesline having a knot formed therein at a point along its length, a fastener for holding the clothesline taut with the slack removed therefrom and disposed into a slack loop; comprising, an elongate body having a central portion with fiat side walls and a thickened end portion, the central portion having an opening with a slot communicating therewith, and defining a notch engaging the line adjacent the knot, the thickened end portion having vertical and longitudinal grooves in its opposite side walls, said grooves in each side wall intersecting at their midpoints and the longitudinal grooves terminating at their inner ends in close spaced relation to and in alignment with the notch, the end portion of the slack loop remote from the knot being bound in one of said Vertical grooves by a stretch of taut line lying in the intersecting longitudinal groove.

3. As a new article of manufacture, for use with an initially slackened clothesline for holding the same taut after slack has been removed; a fastener comprising an elongate body having a central portion with flat side walls and a pair of laterally thickened end portions, the central portion having an elongate opening and a slot, the opening terminating at its opposite ends in notches and the slot communicating between the opening and the outside of the body, the thickened end portions each having opposite side walls formed with vertical and longitudinal grooves, the grooves in each side wall intersecting at their midpoints and said longitudinal grooves in each end por tion terminating at their inner ends in close spaced relation to and in alignment with one of said notches, the notches engaging opposed line portions passed through the slot, said opposed line portions having stretches lying in the vertical grooves anchored by stretches lying partially in the longitudinal grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,908 Hall Aug. 8, 1905 958,168 Petersen May 17, 1910 1,782,625 Neuberger Nov. 25, 1930 1,960,171 Seeger May 22, 1934 2,800,719 Tuzicka July 30, 1957 

